HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CAMP REPORT: Commodores Look to Reach Playoffs For First Time Since 2013

Tim Powers enters eighth season as head coach

ABOVE VIDEO:Space Coast Daily’s Alan Zlotorzynski continues his pre-season high school football camp visits with head coach Tim Powers and the Eau Gallie Commodores.

EAU GALLIE COMMODORES: 6A DISTRICT 14

LAST SEASON: 7-4

FIVE YEAR RECORD: 33-26, LAST PLAYOFF YEAR: 2013

HEAD COACH: TIM POWERS (8th Season)

RETURNING STARTERS: 7 OFFENSE, 6 DEFENSE

The Eau Gallie Commodores finished last season winning four of their final six games, including the last two games to finish the 2016 season with a record of 7-4. (image by Florida High School Football.com)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Eau Gallie Commodores finished last season winning four of their final six games, including the last two games to finish the 2016 season with a record of 7-4.

In doing so, the Commodores completed their fourth straight year finishing at or above .500. Led by Tim Powers, who is entering his eighth season as the Commodores head coach, Eau Gallie returns six offensive players and seven on defense.

Offensively, Eau Gallie likes to spread opposing defenses out and throw the football. Passing the football will fall on the shoulders of junior quarterback Hunter Smith.

Smith was impressive in the 7-on-7 tournament in early July at Florida Tech where the Commodores finished in the Final 4. Smith also looked impressive in the spring game where he ran for a touchdown and passed for three more.

Coach Powers hopes his new signal caller gains experience quickly but he knows he can rely on a veteran wide receiving core that should be as good as any in the county.

Two seniors and junior will provide Smith with plenty of options down the field and across the middle.

Cordell Dzara, Darin Garland and Jarrad Baker each caught a TD pass from Smith in the spring contest and the three combined for nearly 1,300 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

ABOVE VIDEO:Highlights of Eau Gallie’s 28-21 spring game win over East River.

Garland had nearly 800 of those yards last season and 10 touchdowns.

Where Dzara really shines is in Tim Powers defensive backfield where he tied for the county lead with five interceptions in 2016 and recorded another in the Commodores 28-21 spring game win over East River.

Led by 6-foot, 300-pound guard Jeff Burger, Eau Gallie’s offensive line will be counted on heavily this year to open holes for RB Keith Headd, who rushed for 422 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016.

The Commodores schedule hasn’t changed much over the years. They open on the road in weeks one and two at Satellite and Astronaut before returning home to play four straight games.

They will face Rockledge, Heritage, Bayside and replaced Holy Trinity on the schedule with Titusville. The final quarter of the season is not going to be an easy stretch. Eau Gallie hits the road for three of their final four games.

They travel to Jensen Beach and Sebastian River, and finish the season against the Bulldogs at Melbourne. They will host Okeechobee on October 20 to break up the road trip.